From Tokyo, Japan to Ithaca, New York and everything big and small in between, today's guest has done it all in the past three years. Masaki Mitsuhashi grew up in Tokyo, Japan and then made the move to the United States for college. He currently is a senior at Ithaca College and is working on his senior thesis film. We discuss his senior thesis film, his journey from Tokyo to New York, and how fashion has impacted his life.Link to the Crowdfunding page for Masaki's Senior Thesis Projecthttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/thesis-fashion-film-ten-and-gun-generation#/Also please email podpaca@gmail.com with any concerns or questions regarding the crowdfunding link and Masaki's Senior Thesis Project.PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake

This episode is a bit different than most because instead of focusing on a person or occupation, we are focusing on a central part of a small town. We discover three perspectives of what it's like to work on Main Street in Waupaca, Wisconsin after the pandemic and after a year of road construction in 2021. We first talk to Penny Harper who works at Knight Barry Title and is a Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador. We then talk to Megan and Mike Swisher who own the gift shop Huck and Finn. Huck and Finn is  the newest business out of the three perspectives we talk to. Lastly we talk to Emily Murphy who is the co-owner of The Nutrition Center, a vitamin shop and organic grocery store. The Nutrition Center has been on Main Street for about 50 years. PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake

DISCLAIMER: Strong adult themes that may be disturbing for some listeners including self harm. Today Joe Drake talks to the author of Climbing Out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness Mike Jacquart. They discuss Mike's personal journey through anxiety and depression, how important men's mental health is, and how to properly handle your mental wellness. This very important and greatly needed discussion about men's mental health also features what small town listeners should do and what needs to be done to share awareness of this issue. You can find Climbing Out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness on Amazon!PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.Leaving a rating and review on your podcast platform means a lot to us as it helps grow PodPaca!

Terri Schulz has been the president of the Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce for over 30 years. She shares her journey and vast experience in the Chamber of Commerce world! After that we hear once again from Author Greg Biba whose new book Accused: The Witch Trial of Margaret Faust is available now! Get Greg Biba's new book on Amazon or in a number of shops in Waupaca, WI including Bookceller, Northern Home, and more! PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake.Expect new episodes once or twice a month.

The Bethany Home in Waupaca, Wisconsin is celebrating their 125th anniversary this summer! We talk to Sally LeComte (Director of Admissions and Marketing) and Shannon Schuelke (Director of Health Services) about their experiences working at Bethany, the history of Bethany, and how the Bethany Home is so unique compared to other retirement homes. The Bethany Home is deficiency free in 2023 and helps thousands of people every year in central and northeast Wisconsin.PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake. Thank you to our listeners for listening to our small town podcast! Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and on whatever podcast platform you are listening on. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date on everything PodPaca!

Marissa Younger is the Wisconsin Coddiwomple who has a travel vlog on Instagram that is one of the largest rising stars in Wisconsin travel blogs/vlogs in 2023! She comes on PodPaca today to share her backstory, what makes small towns in Wisconsin so great, and advice for those who also want to share their adventures with the general public!PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake and is sponsored today by Farmers State Bank and Northern Kitchen. Thank you for sponsoring!

Water Skiers Cassandra Moloney, Mindy Vitucci, and Riley Werner are all part of the Waupaca Chain Skiers Waterski Team. We learn more about how you get started as a water skier, how Covid affected water skiing, and how being on a team gives you skills for later in life! Thanks again Waupaca Chain Skiers for being on the show. Their first show of the 2023 season is on Sunday June 18th at 3pm at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King, WI. PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake. PodPaca is sponsored by Farmers State Bank.

PodPaca, the podcast that shines light on small town folks, makes its return with 2 guests back to back that impact their small community in very different ways! Greg Miskinis is the one of two people to receive the top 4 awards from the American Foundry Society. Greg Miskinis is the only person to receive these awards for his work with iron while the other multi-award winner was awarded for his work in aluminum. Greg retired back in 2020 from the Waupaca Foundry and receiving the AFS John H. Whiting Gold Medal last April was a great way for his career in metallurgy to be given the recognition it deserves. Sue Abrahamson has been in charge of Waupaca Area Public Library Children's Department for over 25 years! Being a children's librarian in a small community can be tough since many families depend on the library for summer activities similar to how families rely on a Boys and Girls Club or a YMCA. What is it like being a librarian who has to not only plan many activities each week during the summer for kids but also encourage and educate kids about life through reading? Listen to find out!Waupaca Area Public Library Summer Library Brochure Link: https://waupacalibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2023/06/2023-Summer-Schedule-Pamplet-1.pdfPodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake  with his father Tim Drake who both love their small-town community they live in! PodPaca is sponsored by Farmers State Bank. Thank You For Sponsoring!

Today we discuss how Aaron Jenson became Waupaca's city administrator and we answer tons of questions from the poll we released. We discuss everything from future department stores in Waupaca, the future of Fulton Street and more!PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake and is presented by Northern Kitchen. The poll conducted was done by PodPaca and it was done by Waupaca area citizens.

Recently retired elementary school teacher Lisa Andersen joins PodPaca! She talks about the challenges of teaching, how difficult it was to retire, and about her son Connor who also happens to be a good friend of PodPaca host Joe Drake. PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake. PodPaca is presented by Northern Kitchen located in downtown Waupaca, WI.

University of Wisconsin: Stevens Point Student Kyle Pulvermacher presented The Effect of Education on Income Inequality in Wisconsin at the Wisconsin State Capital Building as part of the Research at the Rotunda Event. Kyle is here to share what he presented with us on PodPaca! We learn how Waupaca County is fairing in Income Inequality, what Kyle's research led him to conclude, and we learn more about Kyle's life as a student at UWSP. PodPaca is presented by Lucky Tree and Northern Home!PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake. New episodes this spring are biweekly.

Kathy Kinney takes PodPaca listeners on a journey through how she became an actor and comedian with small town origins, what inspires her, and what it was like working with legends in her career. All of this and more on PodPaca!Thank You to Kathy Kinney, Barb Montoya, Office Outfitters, Lucky Tree, Northern Home, and Northern Kitchen for making this episode of PodPaca happen!PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake, a father-son duo who love the small towns of America, especially their hometown of Waupaca, Wisconsin.

After a short break PodPaca is back with The Revival Boutique Owner Brooke Bebout. Learn how The Revival Boutique got started, why Brooke left home to hitchhike across the country at 19 years old, and how she picks out clothes for her boutique! Thank you to Lucky Tree, Northern Home, and Northern Kitchen for supporting this episode. PodPaca is hosted by father-son duo Joe Drake and Tim Drake where we learn all about those who have success and amazing life experiences but are from small towns in America.

Author Greg Biba returns to PodPaca with his new book "Death Wish at Machu Picchu" which is available now on Amazon and at Waupaca area stores. We learn what inspired Greg to finish his Adventure series books in Peru, what books he will write next, and about the Waupaca Writers Club! "Death Wish at Machu Picchu" is Adventure #3 and the final adventure in the Adventure Series by Greg Biba. There's Hidden Treasure, Extortion, and Deadly Encounters to end the trilogy!PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake and is presented by Lucky Tree's family of shops located in downtown Waupaca, Wisconsin!

We put together a montage of some of PodPaca's best and most memorable moments from 2022! Listen and enjoy moments you may have missed from this past year! Thank you for listening to PodPaca and we hope you continue to listen in 2023!This episode has a few instances of strong language and heavy subjects.PodPaca is hosted by Joe Drake and Tim Drake and is presented by Lucky Tree's family of shops!

The Mayor of the City of Waupaca, Wisconsin Brian Smith stops by PodPaca to discuss all things city politics in this can't miss episode! Huge questions are answered like what is the City of Waupaca going to focus on in 2023? Is Churchill Street being renovated? Will the Waupaca Country Club add 9 new holes to their course? Of course we also learn what it takes to be a mayor in a small town. All on this episode of PodPaca!PodPaca is hosted by Joe and Tim Drake! PodPaca is presented by Lucky Tree and their family of shops all located in downtown Waupaca, Wisconsin!

What was small town Wisconsin life like in the 1960's and 1970's? Find out from two Waupaca residents that have lived in the area for over 50 years! We discuss what working was like 50 years ago, the difficult transition from paper records to digital records, and some of the great history in central Wisconsin! Joe Drake and Tim Drake host PodPaca sponsored by Lucky Tree and their family of shops! Make sure to support the Waupaca Historical Society's Capital Campaign by going to the Waupaca Historical Society website! Thank you again to Marge Writt and Betty Stewart for being on PodPaca!

PodPaca judged all the cookies from the YuleTide Trail's Cookie Walk 2022! Find out what cookies were the best this year and we reveal the rest of what's happening in December for PodPaca. Finally we also reveal the first movies for the PodPaca Movie Club! To participate just watch the movies and comment your opinions on the films either on PodPaca's Facebook page, Instagram page, or YouTube videos! If you can't stream the films, remember that you can rent them or go to the library to borrow it for free! PodPaca is sponsored by Lucky Tree and their family of shops! Shop at Lucky Tree in downtown Waupaca for all your Christmas needs! Or go to luckytreewaupaca.com

PodPaca celebrates Thanksgiving by sharing info about the Waupaca Free Community Thanksgiving Meal and sharing what we are thankful for as part of our shoutouts. PodPaca also announces a new project to give the PodPaca community a chance to do something together.Waupaca's Free Community Thanksgiving Meal is on Thursday November 24th at Faith Community Church in Waupaca, WI. Homebound Delivery is at 10:30am, Dine In is from 11am-1pm, and Pick-Ups are from 12pm-1pm.PodPaca Movie Club will start this December!PodPaca is hosted by Joe and Tim Drake and is presented by Lucky Tree's Family of Shops.

It's National Rural Health Day on Thurs Nov. 17th  and we are joined by three ThedaCare physicians. Dr. Dorrie Happ, Dr. Kelly Pucillo, and Dr. Ezra Lyon join PodPaca hosts Joe Drake and Tim Drake. They discuss the difference between being a doctor in a small town compared to a large city, the current mental health crisis, and why they love their local community. PodPaca is presented by Lucky Tree's family of shops that include Northern Home and Northern Kitchen all in downtown Waupaca.